Memory
by Mae Yumi
Summary: A person's mind is a precious thing; it can hold an abundance of feelings and years of memories. What if you take this memory for granted? What if you lost everything you knew? What if you are Kagome and had to rely on the cold heart of the demon Lord Sesshomaru to regain your memories? Rated for language and future chapters.
1. Hope

**A/N: This is my first Inuyasha fan fiction. I'm excited to finally write this, as I've been thinking about it for so long! This is a Sess/Kag pairing, and there will be cursing as well as rated R scenes later on. You have been warned. Please read and review! All comments are appreciated!**

**Disclaimer**: I do not (unfortunately) own any of the Inuyasha characters. I do own the plot of this story, though.

**Chapter One- **

**Hope**

'_What…' _

Raising her head slowly, her eyes took in everything around her. The shredded corpse of a giant snake lay before her. She could smell the thing's blood: putrid and evil. Scattered across the ground to her left is what looked like its head. There were chunks of black meat strewn across the forest floor before her.

'_Where… Am I…?' _

Nothing looked familiar. Her eyes scanned the area before her trying to find anything that would hint to what this place was. She looked from the tall, dark trees to the sky above her. The moon was full and beaming in full light down at her.

'_Why am I in such a place…?' _

Her ears zoning in on the rustling behind her, she turned her head to investigate. At first all she saw was a wall of flowing silver, and after a moment she realized it was not a wall, but shiny silver hair. Forgetting her confusion her eyes began following the silky mass to its origin, which was a surprisingly handsome male face. Her eyes took note of the beautiful fair skin with two purple marks on each cheek, and a deep blue crescent moon on his forehead. Continuing her survey of this beauty her eyes became fixated on the gold eyes that bore down into her own. The coldness that swirled inside them startled her and brought her mind back to reality.  
"Miko."  
Deep and manly, his voice was just as beautiful as he was. Though the voice would've seemed much lovelier if it wasn't filled with such coldness. The girl wondered briefly if the man was aiming that coldness at her.  
"_Miko_."  
It was sterner now, the word dripping with annoyance as well as the coldness before.  
Concluding that he must be referring to_ her_ as `Miko,` she figured she should come up with some sort of response.  
"Umm... Me... Right?"  
Well, not the most intelligent response she could muster, but it was all she could spit out.  
"Your attempt at humor is failing."  
The man's golden eyes narrowed at her response. She couldn't understand why he was so angry, or why he knew who she was.  
_'Wait... Who I am...'_

Who_ WAS_ she? She couldn't remember anything.

'_Why...?'_

She searched deep into her mind, drawing blanks on everything she tried to remember. Her name... Where she was... Did she have a family? Where... and who were they? The attempt to remember made her head throb with such an intense pain that it made her body shake uncontrollably.

He started down at the tattered and shaking girl, wondering if he should just kill her now.  
_`I didn't think the Miko feared me this much. When she is with the hanyo they both stand to fight against me. `_  
Pondering the woman's reaction for only a moment, the demon decided to gather the half-breed's location before he departed.  
"Miko, tell me where the hanyo is and I shall not kill you this day."  
He stared down and awaited the woman's response.  
Moments passed and his brow twitched with annoyance. This lowly human dared to ignore his order? Maybe her death would be on his to-do list tonight after all. He took a step toward the woman, raising his now poison-dripping claw for emphasis. The Miko's head snapped to attention as she realized he was coming closer. Her eyes were wide, full of deep confusion and terror. Starting directly into his eyes, she stopped shaking. She reached out towards him with her small, dirt covered hand. Her voice was but a shaky whisper.  
"Please..."  
Raising a brow, the demon was becoming more and more irritated. The woman acted as if she had no clue who, let alone what, he was. He lowered himself before her on one knee, and in doing so also raised his claw close to the girl's face.  
"I tire of this game you play, wench. Now you will give me his and Tessaiga's location before I rid this nose of your human stench."  
The demon waited but for a moment, watching as the girl's eyes frantically searched his for answers he knew not of. Being a demon of his word, he began to reach for her neck, claw dripping with poison and the full intent to kill.

"W-WAIT!"  
She pleaded loudly as her mind finally registered that the man was completely serious about taking her life. She pushed herself back as best she could, trying to escape the reaching hand that was surely intending to end her. She was slightly relieved to see the hand had stopped in its tracks, though it did not retreat, it just hung there eerily before her. When she leaned on her right arm to push back further she was assaulted with such a stabbing pain that made her cry out. The pain was coming from her wrist and was shooting up the length of her arm. The girl looked down, taking a brief second to assess what could be causing this pain. She stared in shock as she saw deep blues and purples coloring her pale skin.  
_`Broken... How..? What had happened? `_  
Lost in her shock, she jumped as a deep growl came from in front of her. Tearing her eyes away from her broken wrist, she looked up into the ever angry gold orbs. He seemed lightly confused and irritated at her, yet his hand did not move any closer. Well, at least _that_ was an upside to all of this.  
"P-please… Can you tell me what's going on? What happened to me? And what have I done to make you want to kill me?"  
She was so shaken up and confused. Her mind demanded answers. She would not die by some stranger before she even knew what was going on.  
"I don't know what's going on here, but I'm sorry if I've done something to make you mad. I don't... I don't remember... I_ can't_ remember anything... Where are we? How do you know me? Can you tell me my name?"  
She felt a hint of guilt for bombarding him with so many questions, but her inquiry seemed to be stopping him from harming her. Her breaths were short and quick as the fear and confusion of not remembering began to rise inside her once again.  
"Miko you will not play me for a fool. You must not value your life too much."  
The man stood up, his eyes glaring down at her. He stood for a few moments, mentally assessing her and the questions she asked. She could both feel and smell the dirt and black slime covering her. What the black stuff was, she didn't want to know. Now feeling gross as well as confused, she stared harder into his eyes in hopes that the man would answer her.

"Hm..."  
She saw his brow lift as he looked from her to the piles of scattered flesh around them. If she had not been starting at his face she wouldn't have noticed his brow furrow slightly. He looked as if he had figured something out, but what was it? Why was he not answering her?  
"Umm..."  
She was hesitant on prying any harder, but the need for answers was slowly overtaking her fear.

The sound of the human girl's voice pulled his eyes away from the dead creature before him. He started down at her again, as he came to an angry understanding. What he had thoughtlessly killed was no ordinary snake demon; the wretched thing even had three jewel shards amplifying its powers. He had seen this demon only once before. The demonic black snakes are rare creatures that feed on the memory and dreams of weak humans. Normally they are extremely vulnerable and could be brought down within seconds, but since it had shards of the jewel it was better defended than usual. Probably why the Miko couldn't take it down. Looking at the human before him he could sense that she was afraid and utterly confused, but not lying. This whole situation was testing his nerves. If only the damned Miko hadn't let it chase her so close to his camp, then he would not have wasted time tearing it to shreds. To get misfortune, he had gotten there _after_ the demon had its fun with the girl, as well as it's partaking of her mind. Closing his eyes and brushing the ever rising annoyance out of his mind, he turned to leave. This was not going to benefit him as she would not have any useful information after her encounter with the snake. He barely took three steps when he heard her scrambling against the grass.  
"Wait, please!"  
The girl was audibly struggling to stand as he made for his leave.  
Keeping pace, the demon continued to walk away towards his camp. He has not, and will not ever go out of his way to aid a lowly human. Well, with the exception of one human child, but he did not intend to do so again.  
"Please wait! Let me come with you! I... I'll do anything! I don't know where, let alone _who_ I am! So, please!"  
The Miko was pleading over and over as she began dragging her bruised legs along to follow him.  
"If you continue to pester and follow me I shall dispose of you with no hesitation."  
The sound of her incessant pleading annoyed him to no end. He was not going to allow that worthless hanyo's wench to follow him anywhere, let alone to his camp.  
"Please!"  
Her voice was closer and more urgent, but none less irritating.

_`This will continue no longer. `_  
He turned to face the struggling fool of a woman and let his claws drip with his poison.  
"You overstep your boundaries, girl. It will be pleasing to kill-"  
"LORD SESSHOMARU! Master Jaken is being mean to Rin again!"  
The little dark-haired child ran through the trees, whilst yelling at the top of her lungs, and stopped at his side. She looked from him to the dirty Miko, then back to him. Her eyes lit up with recognition at the woman before her.  
"Rin, return to camp. I will join you shortly."  
He knew completely what the little girl would insist on if she knew the Miko was in need of help. Retracting his hand, he looked down at the child. She smiled up at him and tugged gently on his fur. He could tell by that smile that she was planning on suggesting the complete opposite of this plan.  
"Did Lady Kagome come to play? Oh please, oh please can we play? Playing with Master Jaken is no fun and Rin gets lonely..."  
The child's eyes burned into his, her pleading accompanied by her hands squeezing tightly together. Closing his eyes, he felt his annoyance rising with the understanding that he would not win this argument. Angry, as well as irritated, he waved his hand and began walking towards camp once more. He tried to think of what useful things this situation would bring. Then he stopped thinking and smirked inwardly at himself.  
_`The Miko shall serve as good bait. `_

She watched as the cold man walked off, leaving her behind with the child called Rin. He seemed no longer intent on killing her. Maybe he is allowing her to come with them?  
_`Ah... so his name is Sesshomaru. And Kagome is... is...-`  
_Her thoughts stopped dead in their tracks.  
"K... Kagome..."  
The word definitely felt familiar as it left her mouth, yet the word brought no memories to mind. Even with no sign of returning memories, she could feel deep within her heart a feeling of recognition.  
_`Kagome. Higurashi Kagome. That's my name... That's my name! `_  
With wide eyes and a new-found hope, she gathered herself and walked to the bouncing girl. Grabbing the child's hands, she knelt and smiled warmly at her. The adorable little girl would never know how grateful she was for aiding in the return of her name.  
"Rin... Right? Thank you... Thank you so much. I'm so happy to remember my name! It's all thanks to you."  
Kagome sighed in relief; at least she knew her name now. Maybe things will come back slowly. And... Maybe this child could help.  
"Lady Kagome, why did you forget your name? Did you hit your head?"  
The child looked into her eyes with question and worry. Realizing that she hadn't explained anything to the child, Kagome shook her head.  
_`That's right; Rin doesn't know that I lost my memory. `_  
Debating on whether or not to tell her, Kagome decided that the child could probably tell her a lot more that she needs to know. Besides, what's the point in hiding things?  
"Rin... I've lost my memory somehow. I don't know where I am, and before you told me my name, I didn't know who I was. I know it might be a lot to ask, but could you help me remember...? In return I will do anything." Kagome looked at the child hopefully, and watched as the girl's expression change from worry too excited.  
"Of course! Rin will definitely help! So then... will you stay and play with Rin? Jaken is always mean and never wants to play... Ohh! Rin can show you to the bath, too!" The child's bounced up and down, excited at the thought of getting to play with a big sister.  
"Ah! Of course! "

She stood up and assessed the amount of filth covering her body. "Let's take the bath first!"  
Kagome smiled and allowed herself to be pulled along by the small child in front of her. Maybe things would look up.


	2. Worry

**A/N: I was so excited about this story that I worked all day on the second chapter! I wish I could just write continuously. Who needs sleep anyways? Thank you for your reads and reviews!**

**Disclaimer**: I do not (unfortunately) own any of the Inuyasha characters. I do own the plot of this story, though.

**Chapter 2-**

**Worry**

"Lord Sesshomaru, Rin will take a bath with Lady Kagome now! Is that okay?"  
The girl was practically bouncing in place as she looked to the demon Lord for confirmation. The two girls had just finished eating the fish that had been caught earlier that day. Sitting by the fire waiting for Kagome to finish her meal had pushed the child to extreme boredom.  
"Hn."  
Sitting lotus style on the ground, the Lord watched as the young girl stood before him, holding the Miko's hand in her own. He did not find any pleasure in having this woman in his camp, but his ward seemed ecstatic to have another human to keep her company. The stench coming from the Miko was beginning to settle around the camp, so maybe bathing wouldn't be too bad of an idea.  
"Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru! Come on Lady Kagome, Rin will help you wash your hair!"  
The girl smiled brightly and pulled Kagome along through the woods towards an open spring. When the two approached the edge, Kagome could see that the water was clear and had a few leaves drifting on its surface. The small spring was surrounded by large rocks, most of them smooth and covered in dark green algae. Reaching her hand to feel the water, she found it was surprisingly cool. She would have to go in slowly though, due to the cuts and bruises afflicting her body. In light of the wounds she had, she was grateful for the spring. The water was sure to feel good in contrast to the summer heat. It may have been night, but the heat of the season still lingered.

"Rin will get some flowers for our bath!" The child ran off towards the trees and began picking at the grass. The flowers she saw there were purple, about the size of her palm, and seemed familiar. Kagome brushed off the feeling and watched as Rin filled her hands with as many of the flowers as she could, laughing to herself all the while.

Kagome smiled at the sight then turned her attention to her soiled and torn clothes. She took notice of her attire; a short green skirt accompanied by a green and white top. The top had long sleeves with green cuffs, and at the top was a green collar with a small red, bow-like sash in the middle. They were both covered in dirt, some kind of black sludge, and grass. On the bright side, at least her clothes weren't torn.

'_I wonder why my clothes are so different from theirs…' _Kagome shrugged off the question, deciding now wasn't the time to start questioning things again. Pulling off the clothes and the undergarments underneath, she was joined by a now naked Rin; who was holding an armful of purple flowers.

"Okay! Rin has gathered all the flowers for the bath! They will make us smell really, really good!" The girl giggled and threw the flowers into the water handfuls at a time. Smiling wildly after all her purple additions were floating along the top of the water; she then jumped in, splashing water all over Kagome in the process.

"Ahhh!" Kagome winced as she was assaulted by the chilly water. She was definitely not prepared for how cold it was against the rest of her skin. Luckily the water didn't sting her cuts too badly. Composing herself, she decided to hurry and get the first step over with. Reaching a foot towards the spring she slowly stepped into the cool water. She followed with her other foot and began to let her body become submerged. Blinking in surprise, Kagome raised her arms out of the water for a closer look. There was no pain or sting of the water. She knew she had not dreamed up the cuts on her arms, so why was there no pain? Curiously, she stared at her arms; the cuts were still there, but they were glowing a soft pink and slowly healing, as was her broken wrist.

'_What the…?' _She thought in shock at the sight of her healing body.

"Lady Kagome, are your wounds healing alright?" The small girl waded over to where Kagome stood dumfounded by what was happening.

"Rin… My cuts… My wrist was broken. How did that…" Slightly startled out of her stupor, Kagome looked from her now healed arms to Rin. "How did my body do that?"

"You don't remember? Oh yeah… Your memory… Well… Last time we met you showed Rin these pretty flowers and told me that you could use a spell to make them heal wounds." She pointed to the pink light encircling her now-healed wrist. "See? You did the spell again! Lady Kagome is amazing!" Rin smiled up at Kagome.

"I… _I_ did that…? How is that even possible…?" The woman looked confused and tore her eyes from the child to asses her healed skin. The pink light faded and her body felt much better. All of the cuts and bruises had disappeared from her skin, leaving nothing but a fair smoothness behind.

"It's because Lady Kagome is a Miko!" Rin said matter-of-factly as she played with a near-by flower. "Rin remembers that a Miko is very powerful and can heal all sorts of stuff!" The child smiled and offered Kagome an extra flower that she had managed to catch.

'_A Miko… I'm a Miko… But, if I can heal, why can't I heal my mind and return my memories?' _Kagome sighed; she did not understand any of this. Shaking her head, she decided not to worry the smiling girl before her. The girl had done so much already for her, it would be rude to hound her about everything. Turning to the girl, she smiled warmly.

"Rin, do you want to wash my hair?"

"Yes!" The girl beamed and practically jumped out of the water. The two began to laugh at each other and proceeded with their bath.

After their bath, the two dried by the fire and laid down against the warm ground. Kagome thought to herself before sleep finally crashed down.

'_I will remember. I __**have**__ to.'_

_TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT_

"Inuyasha stop!" Shouted an angry demon slayer.

"Go to hell! I know she went back home and I'm gonna drag the wench back by her hair! I can't believe she took the jewel sharks with her!" Retorted a pissed off half demon.

"She would have told us if she was going back home." A small fox sighed.

"That's right, she also left her back pack here so she couldn't have gone far." Agreed a tired monk.

Four voices rang high in the morning air, all of them filled with frustration. The group had been following behind the angry hanyo; in the _opposite_ direction they needed to go. Ever since they woke up it has been nothing but curse words and exasperated sighs.

"Miroku, please try to talk some sense into that idiot. He obviously doesn't understand anything I say." The dark-haired demon slayer gave a pleading glance to the monk beside her. She knew he of all people could get him to listen; they were both men after all.

"Sango I don't think he _wants_ to understand. He has been mad since he came back this morning. If only Kagome would hurry and come back, she could pacify his anger…" The monk sighed, his purple robes swaying as he stepped in sync with his gold staff.

"Yeah, pacify him with a 'SIT' is what she'd do." The young fox laughed as he rode atop a large twin-tailed cat.

"Shippo's right. I'm almost excited to see that happen." The monk laughed and slowed his pace to walk beside the demon slayer.

"I can HEAR you idiots back there, ya know!" The white-haired hanyo fumed as he walked towards his destination. He had come back this morning ready to continue the quest for Naraku, but Kagome was not there. He figured she was taking a bath, something she did all too much in his opinion, so he waited with the others. They waited for nearly two hours before calling out and searching for her. She was nowhere near the camp, yet her scent still lingered. He had a feeling where she had gone. He knew she spied on him last night. She had followed him when he went to visit his dead lover, Kikyo. He didn't think she would stay the whole duration of his visit. He knew she witnessed him kiss Kikyo. He felt a twinge of guilt, but he couldn't bring himself to follow after her when he heard her run off. Why did he have to choose? It wasn't fair. Having thought that, he figured she probably got angry and went back home until he retrieved her. That's what she would normally do… But it felt different this time. He couldn't sense nor smell her anywhere as he neared the old Bone-Eater's well. Usually he could feel if she had used the well to go back to her home in her time.

'_What the hell? Where could she have gone then? She wouldn't just leave us like that, no matter how mad she was.' _He stood in front of the well and angrily scratched his head.

"So did she go back?" A calm male voice came from behind him. The monk glanced curiously from the well to the white-haired man beside him.

"No. I don't get it, where the hell did she go? Damn it!" He slammed his fist down against the lip of the well, causing it to shake gently.

"Inuyasha maybe we should look around the forest some more. Was her scent still there when we left?" Sango crossed her arms and looked down worriedly. The monk placed his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. She smiled lightly at his gesture.

"Keh. Come on before I lose the smell." Inuyasha jumped up and ran to where they had camped the night before. He was getting worried, and that made him even angrier. He quickened his pace, not caring if the rest of the group was falling behind. The sun was beating down on them. The summer heat made running for long periods difficult, the need for water and rest increased as the temperature did. Luckily the wind was blowing today; it would help keep them cool, as well as help find Kagome's scent.

Kagome.

The hanyo stopped. He could smell her.

'_Wait… That's…' _He began to run and took a sharp left and ended up in a small clearing. He surveyed the area; black chunks and slimy globs of dark blood littered the ground around him. It's a snake demon. Well,_ was_ a snake demon. He turned his face to where the smell was coming from.

'_Her blood.' _Inuyasha jumped to the spot where the scent was strongest. He could see foot prints and what looked like a hand print riddled with a few drops of blood in the dirt. He became anxious. It's not a lot of blood, she was still alive, but where?

'_Where could she have gone?'_ He looked at the pieces of torn flesh on the ground. _'She couldn't have done that… She didn't have her bow or her arrows.'_

"No..." His nose caught the scent of another; one person he never wanted to see, especially not with Kagome.

The rest of his group finally caught up and stopped beside him.

"Inuyasha, what the hell? What did you find?" Sango was upset that he had just ran off, but her anger turned into fear when she saw the hanyo's face twisted with rage. Miroku and Sango looked from Inuyasha, to each other, and then back to him. The white-haired man was grasping the dirt and growling towards a certain place in the woods before them. He stood up abruptly and began walking across the small open area and into the woods in front of them. He followed the scent until he found himself at an abandoned camp.

'_That son of a bitch!' _ Inuyasha growled and went to the spot where Kagome's scent was strongest. He couldn't smell blood anymore, which was a relief. He also couldn't smell anyone else's scent mixed in, which was an _even better_ relief. He sat down and tried to get his thoughts straightened out.

'_What the hell would she be doing with __**him**__? Why had she been bleeding? Where the hell could they have gone?' _He mulled it over as he sat there. _'That's right, she was obviously a hostage. The bastard wanted to trade her for Tessaiga.'_

"Inuyasha, seriously! What are you doing?! Do you smell Kagome?" The angry demon slayer was in his face now; her brow was furrowed in worry and aggravation.

"She was here… She was hurt, too. He took her. That bastard took her for a hostage!" Inuyasha got up and tightened his fists to try to relieve some of his anger.

"What do you mean _he_ took her? Who_ is_ he?" Miroku walked up and gave a questioning look to the fuming man. The monk had a thought; "Naraku?"

"No." Inuyasha shook his head. He rubbed his eyes angrily with his hands and finally looked at the two humans before him.

"_Sesshomaru_." He spit out; the word dripping with hatred. He started walking in the direction Kagome's scent was lingering in. He was going to kill that bastard for thinking he could just take her like that.

'_He wants Tessaiga? Oh, he'll get it. He'll get a belly full of my Backlash Wave!' _Grinding his teeth he motioned for the others to follow his lead. No way in hell was he going to waste any more time.

"Sesshomaru…? But why would he want Kagome? I thought he hated humans more than anything?" The little fox piped up from his spot on the large cat demon. He was fidgeting with his tail; his eyes and voice full of worry.

"I see… He is going to use her as a trade for Tessaiga. What a dirty move." Miroku glared at his own words and tried to match Inuyasha's pace. He had to help their friend; there was no telling what that demon lord would do to her.

"That bastard!" Sango slammed her foot down and raced to catch up with the others. "Kirara!" She had her hands in angry fists; how could she let her best friend just walk out of camp on her own? She felt partly responsible and was determined that they would free their friend from the demon lord's grasp.

The group of friends, led by a continuously fuming Inuyasha, quickly followed Kagome's scent. Luckily the trail stuck to the forest and not the sky, so all they had to do was hurry and reach the girl. Having wasted hours of precious time already when they went to the well, they ran. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo all rode atop the cat demon. Inuyasha jumped from tree to tree, urging his feet to go faster.

'_Kagome… I'm coming, just hold on.'_


	3. Confusion

**A/N: Thank you all for reading, and thank you to those who review! I'm really excited about this story. There are so many ways to go with this, so I'm still trying to put ideas together. Now, I will admit that Inuyasha will be very prevalent in this story, as I do not hate his character and he is a big factor in Kag's life. This will not make it any less of a Ses/Kag pairing, though. ^^ Please continue to read and review! **

**Disclaimer**: I do not (unfortunately) own any of the Inuyasha characters. I do own the plot of this story, though.

**x- indicates a flashback  
**

**xxx- indicates flashback end**

**Chapter Three-**

**Confusion**

Evil.

She could feel it.

Something was here; something malicious and disgusting. She watched as a thick, black fog seeped out from the trees ahead. Accompanied by the fog was the stench of rotten meat and death. The horrid smell assaulted all of her senses, causing her eyes to water. This evil feeling was vaguely familiar; in her mind the word 'demon' popped up. Confirming her thoughts the trees before them rustled and from them emerged a very large, very deformed demon. It was covered in black scales and random patches of hair. The thing was moving itself forward on thick arms and legs. Its head was sickly twisted too far to the left, forcing it to look on with only one swollen green eye. The demon's top half seemed to have different shapes, its chest thick and swollen with mounds of what looked to be human bodies formed together. Its lower half was dragging a scaly black tail behind it, coming up to fuse into its lower back.

"Move aside." The demon Lord tossed her a side glance before stepping towards the creature, his claws glowing with his poison.

Kagome shook her head and looked at him, "I want to help!" She stood in front of Rin as to shield her. She didn't know what she would do, but she couldn't just stand there!

"You will do as this Sesshomaru says." The man glared at her with icy eyes, his face assuring her that he will not tolerate disobedience.

"R-Right…" Kagome deflated, but she couldn't understand how he was going to take on the deformed mass by himself.

"Come on Lady Kagome, we shouldn't get in Lord Sesshomaru's way!" The small girl pulled on Kagome's hand, leading her behind a thick tree. The girl didn't seem worried in the slightest. If anything, she actually looked excited.

"Rin… Can he really take that thing down by himself?" She breathed out as she watched the demon raised its large malformed arms towards Sesshomaru. She continued to watch as the thing swung down hard to the Lord. Kagome closed her eyes, not wanting to watch as she knew the man be pummeled into the ground.

Seconds passed and with her eyes still shut, she heard a piercing yowl of pain, and then nothing. Slowly opening her eyes to see what had happened, she saw Sesshomaru flicking the black blood from his hand. She moved her eyes to where the large demon once was. The demon had been split in half, the two halves lying on the ground, steaming and melting where they were severed. The smell of burning, rotten flesh hit her at once and made her gag. The demon Lord looked back at the tree where the two girls hid, a blank expression on his face.

"See? Lord Sesshomaru is invincible!" Rin jumped up and down, smiling proudly at the dumbfounded girl beside her.

"Come." With one word he looked away and began to continue his path, stepping around the putrid corpse.

Pulled out of her stupor, Kagome was dragged on once again by Rin's hand. As the two walked past the bloodied body, Kagome tried to wrap her mind around the man's strength. He was very strong indeed; strong enough to end her at any given time. She could feel that he did not like her, but he had not attempted to harm her nor tell her to leave. He had already expressed his displeasure of her presence, so why was he still allowing her to come? Was it really all for his ward? She didn't understand. She sighed and recalled the events of that morning.

**_x_**

_Kagome fell back onto her butt and was almost burned as the little green imp smacked his staff down at her, fire shooting from the little head._

"_STAY AWAY YOU FILTHY HUMAN!" The toad yelled, mistrust and anger in his voice._

"_Stop! I haven't done anything to you! What are you doing?!" She scrambled back from the fire. Waking up to his screeching and then fire coming towards her put her in a bad mood. Why was he so angry for, anyway? _

"_You've come to spy on us haven't you?! You and that filthy half demon think you can fool me?!" The imp raised his staff ready to attack her with its fire once more, but a small girl jumped in and blocked his path._

"_Stop it Master Jaken!" The girl huffed and spread her arms out in attempt to protect the older woman. "Lady Kagome is here to play with Rin!"_

"_Be silent you stupid child! Can't you see she is here on behalf of the hanyo? Now move before I burn you both!" Jaken raised his staff once more, showing he was serious. "I will rid Lord Sesshomaru of this pest at once!"_

"_Jaken."_

_The imp froze in place at the sound of his name. He turned to where his Lord now stood and looked with pleading eyes. "B-b-but Lord Sesshomaru you know she is close to that half-breed Inuyasha… It would be wise to elim-" His words were cut short by a glare from his Lord._

'_**Inu… yasha?' **__The name made her mind go blank. Where does she know this name from?_

'_**Inuyasha…' **__The word made her heart tighten. Kagome's eyes were wide as she tried to recall where this feeling of familiarity was coming from. Did she know this person?  
_

"_The miko's presence is none of your concern." The demon Lord walked past the toad and looked down at Rin, his eyes losing their anger. "It is time to leave."_

"_Lady Kagome is coming too, right?" The child smiled brightly up at her Lord, grateful for saving her friend from the mean imp. "Can she ride with Rin on Ah-Un?"_

"_No. Jaken is leaving for the day." He glanced at the toad and saw his head bow in response; he had specific tasks to carry out today. He then turned his gaze to the woman sitting on the ground. His frown hinting that he did not have time these games. He was as much displeased with the miko being here as Jaken was, but he had plans. Her presence would also keep his ward entertained, so he would bear it. "Miko."_

"_A-ah, yes?" Kagome blinked and looked at him, surprised to hear her being called so suddenly. She had not been paying attention. Standing up to brush the dirt from her backside she regained her composure._

"_What is it, Lord Sesshomaru?" She figured it would be rude not to address him as the other two did. Besides, she was grateful to him for letting her tag along, especially with her circumstances. She didn't know why, but she also had faith that if something were to happen, he would protect her. Well, it may not be not for __**her**__ sake, but she felt safe nonetheless. She figured the least she could do was earn her stay, so she straightened up and asked "Is there anything I can do to help out?"_

"_You will attend to Rin. If there are questions that she cannot answer then you may come to me." Walking past the two, he lead the way into the forest path. He was being far kinder to her than she deserved, but he had to try to earn her trust as it would be needed soon. He could alter the answers to the more serious questions, which would also benefit him. Despite the irritating presence of the human woman, her current state of mind would serve a purpose for him._

_Kagome bowed slightly, relieved that he didn't tell her to leave, then straightened up and followed behind him. Rin held onto her hand and smiled, chatting on about how happy she was that she had a 'big sister' with her. Kagome smiled and decided she would ask the child a few questions when they made camp._

**_xxx_**

**_TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT_**

'_Finally…'_

After the sun began to set, the three had finally stopped walking to set camp. She was tired from walking in the blazing summer heat all day. Even though her clothes were light, she had still been sweating. The wind was hardly blowing today so there was no breeze to cool her face from the sun. Kagome and Rin found a small river nearby and decided to catch some fish for dinner. While they ate, Kagome asked the girl a few easy questions; where were they? Where were they going? What was Sesshomaru? Why were there demons attacking?

After Rin answered her questions, Kagome remembered the familiar name from earlier; Inuyasha. The name made her heart flutter a little. She figured she would ask Rin about that person and maybe a few more personal questions, too. When she was finished eating she looked over, ready to question the girl again, but saw the child had fallen asleep in the middle of their conversation.

'_She must have been exhausted from all the running around she did today.' _Kagome sighed and sat there for a few moments. She looked down and realized her body had started to smell from all the sweat.

'_Gross. Maybe Sesshomaru will allow me to take a quick bath in the river…' _She thought. She stood up and walked over to where the demon Lord was sitting. He sat with his legs crossed and eyes shut. She knew he was awake by the twitch of his brow as she approached.

"Umm… Lord Sesshomaru?" She asked quietly, so as not to wake Rin from her sleep.

"Do you require something, miko?" Sesshomaru inquired, his eyes still closed.

"I just wanted to know if it was alright for me to take a bath. I'm starting to stink…" Kagome frowned at herself and fidgeted with her hands slightly while she waited for his answer.

He took a moment to weight her question. He wasn't too keen on letting the woman stray away, though he knew she wouldn't try to run off. Reminding himself to be lenient enough in order to gain trust, he opened his eyes and gave the woman a short nod. "That is acceptable."

"Thank you very much! I'll hurry, I promise!" Kagome smiled at him and scurried off towards the river, all too ready to get rid of this smell.

**_TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT_**

"Are you kidding me?! Get the hell up! This is no time for rest!"

"Inuyasha, we have gone nonstop _all day_! We are all worried but we won't be able to find Kagome if we all collapse in the process!"

"Come on! Let's just make camp and we will continue as soon as the sun rises."

Sango and Miroku were half-collapsed at the base of a large tree, huffing and sweating profusely. Shippo was alternating fanning Kirara and himself. The four were exhausted from running and searching all day in the burning heat, they couldn't go any further. They didn't have the stamina of a half demon. They were humans; they had their limits. Even though they wanted nothing more than to continue searching for their friend, they couldn't gather the strength to walk another step.

"While you guys waste precious time sitting on your ass Kagome will be getting farther and farther away!" The white-haired man angrily jumped down from a tree to the ground. "She could be hurt! There's no telling what that bastard has in mind!"

"Inuyasha we know this, but if we aren't strong enough to walk how will we be strong enough to save Kagome?" Miroku sighed heavily and stretched his legs out in front of him. He was tired and the constant bickering wasn't helping at all. "Besides, what reason would Sesshomaru have to harm her? He's probably just keeping her so you are forced to face him. He probably wants to bargain for Tessaiga."

"Keh, over my dead body! I will get Kagome back and then I'm gonna kick that guy's ass!" Inuyasha gripped his sword, his anger continuing to radiate out of him. He wished humans weren't so weak. This was ridiculous. Seeing his comrades setting camp and preparing for sleep, he growled. "FINE, you weaklings stay here! I'll bring Kagome back on my own!" He jumped up into a tree and began to sniff the air, searching for her scent.

"Inuyasha you need to rest, too. Barging into this alone isn't a smart move and you know it." Sango was stretching her tired legs out, her muscles sore from trying to keep up with the hanyo all day. She was also worried about her dear friend, but she knew that if she went into this thing so exhausted there was no way they could win. She knew Kagome would be doing her best wherever she was. Sango looked up at Inuyasha and shook her head. "Kagome is strong. She is probably worrying about us more than herself right now. We need to be ready for anything, and that means we need to rest for now.

"Screw that!" Inuyasha caught her scent and began to run towards it, hopping from tree to tree as he did. His feet were getting tired of landing on the rough trees, but he ignored the feeling. He wasn't weak, he would continue. He was becoming irritated as the smell wasn't getting any stronger. If the scent disappeared now he would be completely lost. Focusing harder on the smell, he pushed his legs faster through the forest.

'_Kagome… Where the hell are you?'_

He must have run an hour; the moon was higher in the sky and the crickets were chiming in full force now. Noticing Kagome's scent was stronger now; Inuyasha stopped on a tall branch and closed his eyes.

'_Focus. I need to focus. She has to be nearby, I can smell her everywhere.' _Taking a deep breath and straining his ears to listen harder, he finally sensed where the smell was coming from. He took a slight left and ran as fast as he could; ignoring the growing pain in his feet. Almost. He was almost there. Her scent hit him like a brick wall. _'Kagome!' _He slammed to a halt when he closed in on a river. He focused in on the figure, his eyes widening at the sight.

Her body was wet and glowing from the moon light. She was waist deep in the river, the water beading down her arms and hips. Silky black hair clung to her back as she started scrubbing her arms with her hands. She was humming softly to herself as she continued to clean her body off.

'_Wh-what the hell is she taking a bath here for?'_ Hearing her hum pulled him back to reality. He lept down from the branch down to the ground, relief flooding him as he neared her and saw no signs of injury.

"Oi, Kagome! What the hell are you doing?" Not caring, well maybe a little, about her current state of undress, he called for her.

"Ahhh!" Kagome spun around, sinking into the water and using her arms to cover her chest. She was stunned when she looked at the man before her; his white hair, dog ears, and his gold eyes. He reminded her slightly of Sesshomaru. Realizing he was staring at her, she shook her head and glared up at him. "What do you think you're doing, pervert?!"

"Shut the hell up! I ain't looking at anything you got, that's for sure! Hurry and get dressed, we're leaving!" Inuyasha grabbed her clothes; throwing them at her and turning away as she hurriedly put them on. He waited a moment then turned back around. She was standing there with wet hair and an angry look on her face. She was staring at him again. Her eyes filled with mixed emotions; fear, confusion, anger.

"Don't stand there looking stupid! Come on!" He went and grabbed her wrist to pull her along. He didn't understand why she was acting so weird. Was she _that_ mad that he saw her taking a bath?

"What are you doing? Stop it!" Kagome yanked her wrist back from his grip. She backed away and glared at him. What kind of person is so rude that they would barge in while she bathed and demanded her around? She was pissed off, embarrassed, and confused. How did he know her name? Didn't he have the decency to explain himself after he stared at her in the bath? Why was trying to drag her off? She wondered if he was even listening to her.

"What the hell, woman? I said come on! You've already wasted enough time!" Inuyasha went to grab her wrist again, but she smacked his hand away. He was taken aback; what the hell was she doing? He saw Kagome take an angry deep breath before yelling at him.

"_Who the hell **are** you_?!"


	4. Frustration

**A/N: Thank you for reading! It took me a bit to figure out how Inu and Kag's conversation would go. I hope you guys like it! On another note, I realized in my second chapter I wrote "Jewel sharks" instead of "Jewel shards." Though it was pretty funny, I don't think I'll have Kagome playing with decorative sea creatures. I will be working on the next chapter a.s.a.p.! Please review! Your comments mean a lot to me!**

******Disclaimer**: I do not (unfortunately) own any of the Inuyasha characters. I do own the plot of this story, though.

**Chapter Four-**

**Frustration  
**

"Lord Sesshomaru…?" A little voice called into the night. The girl rubbed her eyes and looked around. Aside from the sleeping green toad and twin-headed dragon there were no signs of her Lord or her new friend. The camp was lit only by the moonlight around her, as the fire was now dead, the ash glowing with its last embers. Taking another look around her the girl decided it was best for her to stay put until her Lord came back. She laid her head back down and yawned, trying to go back to sleep. Hearing a woman yell made her practically jump off the ground. What was that? What was happening?

'_That… That was Lady Kagome's voice…_' She couldn't shake the feeling of concern that plagued her. She tossed a glance to make sure the imp was still sleeping. Relieved to see he had not been disturbed she stood up and went out to search for her protector.

_**TTTTTTTTTTTTTT**_

"_Who the hell __**are**__ you_?!"

Kagome's shout echoed far into the forest. She had enough of the back and forth bickering. She may have lost her memory, but she still had her state of mind, and right now her state of mind was _really_ angry.

The rude white-haired man stood frozen in shock in front of her, the ears atop his head laid flat in fear of the woman's short temper. He stood for a moment and tried to gather his thoughts. He was confused and angry; what the hell was she going on about? Did she hit her head? Was she playing some kind of game with him? Or maybe his ass of a half-brother did something to her? That had to be it.

'_That bastard messed with Kagome to get at me! I'm gonna fuckin' kill him!_' He growled and clenched his fists. He opened his mouth to speak but was silenced yet again when she continued to reprimand him.

"I don't know who you are, and I'm beginning to not _want_ to know! Where is your respect for personal privacy?! Don't you have any common sense?! Who the heck walks in on a lady taking a bath? Didn't your parents teach you manners? You are such a pervert! Who do you think you are grabbing me and demanding me around like I'm an animal?! I don't _care_ who you think you are because a man _does not_ do that to a woman!" Kagome had to stop to catch her breath. She pointed her finger straight at him and glared, "I have a mind to smack some sense into you!"

Standing there, wide eyed and shocked, all he could do was listen as she continued to scold him. Blinking a few times, he finally comprehended what was wrong. It wasn't an act. It was true. She really didn't know who he was. But how?

"Kagome… You really don't remember me…? What happened? Did Sesshomaru do this to you? Where is that bastard?! I'm gonna rip his ass to shreds!" Inuyasha, emotions switching from worried to pissed off, knew that the demon must have done something to her. "Sesshomaru! I know you're here! Come out you piece of shit! What did you do to Kagome?!" He drew Tessaiga and it transformed in his hand.

"Do you know not how to be silent? Most half demons can grasp the concept of quiet; you must not be very developed." An icy voice came from behind Kagome, making her jump. Looking from the girl back to Inuyasha, he came to a stop so that he was standing a little ahead of Kagome.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" The woman's eyes filled with relief as she relaxed her body. She was glad to have someone familiar here, but she wondered how he knew the rude man in front of them.

Inuyasha stopped and stared for a moment. "_Lord_ Sesshomaru? The hell…? Now I _know_ you must have fucked with her head! What did you do to her?!" He gripped Tessaiga with both hands and went into a fighting stance. He pointed the large fang at the demon.

"Hm?" Sesshomaru raised a brow; the gesture receiving a growl from the man before him.

"You better start talking before Tessaiga accidently releases the Wind Scar!" Inuyasha shouted. Another feral growl escaped him when he saw Sesshomaru step closer to Kagome, putting her in the path of the attack he wanted to make.

"This Sesshomaru has done nothing." Sesshomaru's face remained impassive as he answered. The demon Lord looked down at the woman, "You would tell him, miko."

"Ah, y-yes! You see… I was taken into Lord Sesshomaru's care after he found me hurt and alone in the forest. Somehow my memory was taken from me… I just recently remembered my name. The only thing I remember is sitting on the ground with that nasty snake thing in front of me." She shuddered at the memory of its corpse shredded all around her. She gave a small smile and gestured towards the demon Lord beside her. "I'm currently assisting him in return for him saving my life."

Inuyasha watched as she smiled towards him. Did she really expect him to believe _Sesshomaru_ saved her? That was the stupidest thing he's ever heard. This could not be happening; somehow that bastard had gotten in good with her since she lost her memories. He shook his head. He was not letting this happen. They still had a mission to finish. He needed to help her remember so they could get on with this. Surely her memory wasn't _all_ gone?

"Screw that! How do you expect me to believe that bastard saved you? As much as he hates humans? Ha! You don't owe that guy a thing!" Flinching as he saw her shoot a glare at him, he tried to start over. "Listen, Kagome, I need you to think really hard. It's me, Inuyasha! Don'tcha remember? Miroku, Sango, and Shippo, too! We're all on a mission to kill Naraku. We have to make the Shikon Jewel whole again!" Inuyasha relaxed his hands and aimed Tessaiga down in a non-threatening gesture. He stared at the girl hoping that she would remember.

There was a strong thump of her heart. Kagome closed her eyes and raised a hand to lie on her chest.

'_Miroku… Sango… Shippo…'_ Those names; her heart knew them. With each one her body was filled with familiar warmth. Yet despite her emotions, her mind did not recall any faces or memories. She looked back to the man in front of her.

'_Inuyasha.'_ She felt her faint butterflies in her stomach at the thought of his name. What was this? Why did his name make her feel like this? She shook her head. Nothing was coming into her mind.

"I can feel it… The happiness those names bring to my heart. But…" She cast her eyes to the ground and sighed sadly, feeling on the verge of tears. She wanted desperately to remember. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I still can't remember. I don't know what's wrong with me…"

"That's okay! You don't have to, I can remind you! Just come back and I'm sure you'll remember everyone when you get there! Let's go back, Kagome." Inuyasha took a step forward. He felt his heart tighten with a sadness as she said his name. He didn't want her to forget them. He didn't want her to forget _him_.

She was surprised by his words. He was so rude earlier, but now he was gentle and obviously worried. She could feel in her heart that she should go with him. Surely he would help her remember the things she has lost. She wanted to go to him and see the people he spoke of; the people whose names made her fill with joy. Kagome hesitantly took a step forward, then another. She raised her foot to take another step, but a small hand suddenly grabbed onto her wrist to stop her. She spun around and had to look down, her blue eyes meeting with pleading, brown ones.

"Lady Kagome… Is everything ok? You aren't leaving are you? I thought you promised to stay with Rin?" The girl pulled gently on her arm, urging her to answer. Rin's eyes looked up pleadingly, "Can't you stay a little longer?"

Seeing the little girl's face downcast with disappointment, Kagome waited a moment and mulled over her thoughts carefully. Letting a few moments pass, she then knelt to be level with the smaller girl. She held both of the Rin's hands in her own. "I was just about to tell Inuyasha that I'd be gone for a week. I promised you I would play with you, didn't I?" Kagome smiled warmly at the her, feeling a hint of guilt for almost leaving her without a word.

"What the hell do you mean a week?!" Inuyasha stomped his foot down. "Like hell I'd let you do that, stupid woman!" He didn't have time for her games, memory or not. How could she do that? Didn't she want to remember her friends?

Kagome stood straight and turned to face the man who was stomping his foot like a child. She sighed and tried to word her answer as to not enrage the man any further. She wondered if she really traveled with such a difficult person.

"Inuyasha, please understand that I am still in Lord Sesshomaru's debt. If he hadn't taken me in I would likely not be standing here now. I want to repay him and uphold my promise to keep Rin company." Giving a look to Sesshomaru for confirmation she saw him give a small nod. "After a week I will return with you and we can resume the mission you spoke about earlier." She stood firm before him. She was not so rude that she wouldn't repay a kindness from someone; even if that someone was a cold demon Lord who barely spoke to her. He had let her go with them even when he obviously did not want her to. The least she could do was keep Rin company for a couple of days. She noticed Inuyasha was opening his mouth to fight her decision, so she narrowed her eyes, letting him know that she wasn't going to back down.

"Keh! Fine, one week! If you're not ready by then I'm gonna drag you back." He growled, irritated, and looked from her to Sesshomaru. He watched as the demon Lord smirked at him, the gesture making him growl even louder. _'The fuck? What the hell is he planning?'_

Sesshomaru was pleased with the woman's answer. He was sure she would go off with the hanyo to recover her memories. Sesshomaru had been half listening to the two's conversation. He was busy concentrating on Rin's scent that was getting closer. He figured she probably heard the miko yelling and got worried. When his ward questioned Kagome, he listened to their conversation and was surprised to hear that she wanted to stay with them. Maybe the miko had a sense of honor after all.

"We will meet here in one week's time." Sesshomaru, not waiting to hear the hanyo's answer, turned around and began to walk back to camp. He was pleased that his plan for the miko would continue. A week would be more than enough.

"Wait for me Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin ran to catch up with her Lord. She looked back at Inuyasha and smiled then waved her goodbye. "Don't get left behind Lady Kagome!" With that, the girl and silver-haired man walked until they were out of sight.

"Ah, I should go, too. Thank you, Inuyasha, for understanding. I'll see you in a week!" Kagome smiled to him and turned to leave, only to feel a strong hand grip her wrist to pull her backwards. She turned her head and looked up questioningly. The man's mouth turned downwards in disapproval. "Eh...?"

"Kagome… Just… Be careful. Don't listen to anything that guy has to say. Something seems fishy." Inuyasha was staring, his eyes narrowed at the spot in the trees Sesshomaru had left through. He was feeling wary of the situation and wished he knew some way to change her mind. He looked back at the girl and realized be was holding her relatively close to his body. He let go abruptly and looked away as his face grew hot. "You should hurry up and get your memories back. This is a real pain. I'll see you in a week! Don't do anything stupid!" Inuyasha turned and shot off into the trees without another word.

"What a weird guy…" Kagome closed her eyes and rubbed her temple, attempting to understand his actions. She sighed and turned to head back to camp. She could feel a headache coming on and she wanted to get to sleep.

'_I wonder what's going to happen.'_ Kagome looked down at the ground as she walked. _'I really can't remember anything. Even though Inuyasha told me we were on a mission together, I don't recall a thing. What if… What if my memory never comes back?' _Feeling a pain swell up inside her chest, she quickly shook her head then slapped both of her cheeks. _'No, I can't think about that. I have to be strong. He said he would help me remember. For now, I will work hard to repay Sesshomaru. I wonder why Inuyasha hates him so much. I mean yeah, he's a bit cold and quiet, but other than he hasn't been rude or cruel to me at all.' _She gave a small smile and continued to walk to camp. She was determined to regain her memories, no matter what it took.

_**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**_

"Inuyasha! Where have you been? Did you find Kagome? Was she with Sesshomaru? Is she ok?" The demon slayer stood up as soon as she saw the hanyo return. She noticed the look of aggravation on his face. She had been so worried that the most rest she had gotten was just sitting there while the monk slept on. When Sango stood up Miroku opened his eyes and watched as Inuyasha approached. They both waited patiently for his answer.

"Feh. Yeah, I found her." Inuyasha jumped up onto a thick branch and sat Indian-style, closing his eyes in frustration. He wondered if he should tell them that Kagome had lost her memories. Thinking it over, he decided against it. "The bitch wanted to stay with that bastard for a week. Apparently he saved her life or some shit. Until then you guys can go back to the village."

"A week?" Sango stepped closer to the man now sitting in the thick tree beside her. "With Sesshomaru…?" The woman was dumbfounded. Kagome was willingly staying with that icy demon for a _week_?

"Saved her life? So she wants to stay with him to repay him?" Miroku's brows furrowed. He didn't understand. Why would Kagome want to repay someone like Sesshomaru? He didn't want to think how the demon Lord would make her 'repay' him. Miroku could imagine Sesshomaru demanding she bring the Tessaiga to him. He shook his head. "Did you ask her why, Inuyasha? Surely there has to be more than that. It seems pretty unlikely that _Sesshomaru_ would save Kagome's life." He tapped his chin. "Are you sure she's not under some type of influence? Maybe he's holding something over her head?"

'_I only __**wish**__ it was that fucking simple.'_ Inuyasha ground his teeth at the thought. He wanted nothing more than to kick his half-brother's ass and drag the wench back by her hair, but he couldn't. _'Damn it. Why did she hafta go and lose her memories? And why did that ass hole have to be the one to find her?' _He growled and looked down at his two companions. They wanted answers, but he wasn't ready to give them. Not yet.

"Enough questions. She's alright, and as far as I know that bastard isn't going to hurt her. Go back to the village in the morning and I'll bring her back in a week." Having had enough of the conversation, he closed his eyes and tried to relax.

He heard Sango and Miroku share a few concerned questions; it was obvious they weren't completely satisfied with what he had told them. They both went silent and after a few moments he heard them settle down to sleep. Inuyasha didn't know how to feel about this whole thing. This was definitely putting a damper on finding Naraku and fixing the jewel. That wasn't what made him so upset, though. He wasn't sure how to go about getting her memories back. He didn't even know how they were taken in the first place. Talking to Kaede would be the first step. That old hag could probably tell them what was going on. Inuyasha sighed and looked up at the moon, its light gleaming down into his eyes. Maybe he would practice with Tessaiga until she got back. Yeah, killing things would definitely help his mood.

'_It's only a week.' _He closed his eyes against the moon's light.

'_A whole damn week.'_


End file.
